Shooting range target hanger

ABSTRACT

A firearm target hanger comprising an upper portion and a lower portion connected to the upper portion, the upper portion being adapted to be connected to a target hanger carrier that travels away from and towards a shooter, and the lower portion having spaced apart appendages adapted to be connected to a target. The target hanger comprises a single bent rod that forms the upper portion and the lower portion, and the upper portion has spaced apart lower ends to which the lower portion is attached.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to equipment for target ranges, and more specifically, to moveable track-mounted target carriers.

Indoor facilities for discharging firearms (often called, for example, shooting, gun, or firing ranges) have been around for years. They allow shooters to practice and train with their firearms in the safety and convenience of an indoor facility, without having to be concerned about inclement weather or the risk that a stray bullet will leave the range or inadvertently harm or injure another. Shooters can aim at various kinds of targets to practice and improve their efficiency and skills in various situations.

A typical shooting range is rectangular in shape, with a series of parallel shooting lanes that extend from the front end of the range (where the shooter is located) to the targets (which can be placed at varying distances from the shooter) to the back end of the range (which has some form of backstop or trap to capture or contain the fired projectiles). For instance, pistol ranges can be as short as 15 feet, while rifle ranges can be as long as 300 feet. Other distances in between, as well as shorter or longer, are also possible.

Most indoor shooting ranges today use a moveable target track located above each lane of the range. The movable target track allows for placement of a target at different distances from the shooter. A shooter may also wish to bring the target carrier to within arm’s length to remove a badly perforated paper target and attach a fresh one in its place, or to measure the distance between shots in a grouping. When activated, a motor typically pulls on the appropriate side of a doubled cable, thus moving a target carrier attached to that cable in a direction relative to the shooter. The motor may either be mounted at one (or both) ends of the lane or outdoor track or may be within the target carrier itself.

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional target hanger adapted to be attached to a target hanger carrier. The conventional target hanger 2 comprises a downwardly extending bar 3 with a clip hanger 4 on its lower end adapted to be attached to by a clip (not shown). The clip in turn is adapted to be attached to a center of a target (not shown). Because the conventional target hanger 2 is located over the center of a target, it is likely a projectile will hit the conventional target hanger thus causing the projectile to change direction.

SUMMARY

Disclosed is a firearm target hanger comprising an upper portion and a lower portion connected to the upper portion, the upper portion being adapted to be connected to a target hanger carrier that travels away from and towards a shooter, and the lower portion having spaced apart appendages adapted to be connected to a target. The target hanger comprises a single bent rod that forms the upper portion and the lower portion, and the upper portion has spaced apart lower ends to which the lower portion is attached.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a conventional target hanger.

FIG. 2 is a front view having a target hanger according to this disclosure. A target is clipped to the target hanger.

FIG. 3 is a front side perspective view of the target hanger of FIG. 2 held in a target hanger carrier in an indoor target shooting range.

FIG. 4 is a front view of another embodiment of a target hanger according to this disclosure.

Before one embodiment of the disclosure is explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof as used herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Use of “consisting of” and variations thereof as used herein is meant to encompass only the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof. Further, it is to be understood that such terms as “forward”, “rearward”, “left”, “right”, “upward” and “downward”, etc., are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Illustrated in FIGS. 2 through 3 is a firearm target hanger 10 comprising an upper portion 20 and a lower portion 24 connected to the upper portion 20. The upper portion 20 is adapted to be connected to a target hanger carrier 14 that travels away from and towards a shooter (not shown). The lower portion 24 is in the form of spaced apart appendages 24A and 24B adapted to be connected to a target 12.

In the illustrated embodiment, the target hanger carrier 14 includes a support 30 with an opening 34 extending therethrough parallel to the floor 38 of a shooting range. In a preferred embodiment, the upper portion 20 is V shaped and the target hanger 10 is in the form of a single bent rod that forms the upper portion 20 and the lower portion 24. As a single bent rod, the target hanger 10 is adapted to be fed through the opening 34 in the target hanger carrier 14. The V shaped upper portion 20 self-centers below the target hanger carrier 14, with the apex of the V being held in the target hanger carrier 14. In a preferred embodiment, the bent rod is made from steel, and the apex of the V is wide enough for longer openings 34 in wide target carrier hanger supports 30.

More particularly, the upper portion 20 has spaced apart lower ends to which the lower portions 24A and 24B are respectively attached, and the lower portion 24 extends horizontally from these ends of the V shaped upper portion 20. Each of the lower portion spaced apart appendages 24A and 24B are attached to a separate one of the ends of the V shaped upper portion 20. The upper portion 20 defines an outline of an open geometry having outer edges but nothing inside the edges, as illustrated in the drawings.

In one embodiment, the lower portion arms 24A and 24B extend horizontally and outwardly, and the hanger 10 further includes clips 40A and 40B each attached to a respective one of the appendages. The clips 40A and 40B are adapted to attach a target 12, as shown in FIG. 2 , to the appendages. As illustrated in FIG. 2 , the clips 40A and 40B attached to the appendages 24A and 24B removably hold the target 12 on the target hanger 10.

In an alternate embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 4 , lower portion arms 24A' and 24B' extend downwardly and then inwardly. This embodiment provides a longer target hanger 10' than the target hanger 10 of FIGS. 2 to 3 .

The disclosed target hangers 10 and 10' are thus less likely than the conventional target hanger 2 to be hit by a projectile because it is not located over the center of the target 12. It is also easily attached to or removed from the target hanger carrier 14 if the target hanger needs to be replaced. Further, when made from a one-piece wire, the target hanger 10 is lighter and easier to manufacture than a conventional target hanger 2. The target hanger 10 is also self-centering under the target hanger carrier 14.

Various other features and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the following claims. 

1. A firearm target hanger comprising an upper portion and a lower portion connected to the upper portion, the upper portion being adapted to be connected to a target hanger carrier that travels away from and towards a shooter, and the lower portion having spaced apart appendages adapted to be connected to a target.
 2. The firearm target hanger according to claim 1 wherein the target hanger is in the form of a single bent rod that forms the upper portion and the lower portion.
 3. The firearm target hanger according to claim 1 wherein the upper portion has spaced apart lower ends to which the lower portion is attached.
 4. The firearm target hanger according to claim 1 wherein the upper portion defines an outline of an open geometry having outer edges but nothing inside the edges.
 5. The firearm target hanger according to claim 4 wherein the upper portion is V shaped.
 6. The firearm target hanger according to claim 5 wherein the lower portion extends from ends of the V shaped upper portion.
 7. The firearm target hanger according to claim 6 wherein each of the lower portion spaced apart appendages are attached to a separate one of the ends of the V shaped upper portion.
 8. The firearm target hanger according to claim 1 wherein the lower portion appendages extend horizontally.
 9. The firearm target hanger according to claim 8 wherein the lower portion appendages extend outwardly.
 10. The firearm target hanger according to claim 8 wherein the lower portion appendages extend inwardly.
 11. The firearm target hanger according to claim 1 wherein the hanger further includes clips attached to the appendages and adapted to attach a target to the appendages.
 12. The firearm target hanger of claim 1 wherein the target hanger is made from steel.
 13. A firearm target hanger comprising an upper portion and a lower portion connected to the upper portion, the upper portion being adapted to be connected to a target hanger carrier that travels away from and towards a shooter, with the lower portion having spaced apart horizontally extending appendages adapted to be connected to a target, the target hanger being in the form of a single bent steel rod that forms a V shaped upper portion defining an outline of an open geometry having outer edges but nothing inside the edges having spaced apart lower ends with the lower portion spaced apart appendages being attached to a separate one of the ends of the V shaped upper portion.
 14. The firearm target hanger according to claim 13 wherein the lower portion appendages extend outwardly.
 15. The firearm target hanger according to claim 13 wherein the lower portion appendages extend inwardly.
 16. The firearm target hanger according to claim 13 wherein the hanger further includes clips attached to the appendages and adapted to attach a target to the appendages. 